Reviewing the Anjuli Nap Dress from Hill House

It's shockingly difficult to find a nice dress these days. I don’t consider myself to be exceptionally high maintenance, but I did recently spend hours looking for something to wear to my bridal shower. My wishlist was simple: I wanted a midi length dress with at least a bit of white. After reading dozens of threads and style advice blogs, I finally settled on the Anjuli Nap Dress from Hill House. Hill House dresses are a bit pricey, so I had high expectations for the quality and fit. Let's take a look at all the ins and outs of the Hill House Anjuli Nap Dress!

What is a "nap dress"?

Hill House claims to be home to the original nap dresses. But what exactly makes a nap dress?

According to the founder, nap dresses are designed to be "...soft, comfortable, and pretty enough to wear all day and night." And their dresses are definitely pretty! Many come with a signature smocked bodice, modest skirt, and flouncy sleeves. They exude feminine charm and dreams of garden parties. The dresses also come in a good variety of styles and patterns.

The Anjuli Nap Dress

The Anjuli Nap Dress is a sleeveless iteration of the nap dress. It features thicker elastic straps, "nap smocking" on the bodice, pockets, and a slim silhouette maxi skirt. It's always available in classic navy or black, and you can choose between crepe or cotton material. There are also limited edition and seasonal prints that cycle through.

I purchased the Anjuli Nap Dress in size medium for $178. I got it in the limited edition Blue Peony Bouquet print, which is more expensive than their standard offerings ($150).

To be honest, I was incredibly disappointed the first time I tried my dress on. The quality was not at all what I was expecting for the price. I thought I was going to return it. I did end up keeping it (mainly because I had nothing else to wear to my bridal shower) and I do like it. So I’m conflicted- there are both lovely and unfortunate things about the design and construction of the dress. Let’s go over them all!

Things I Love

The pattern. The limited edition Blue Peony Bouquet pattern caught my eye immediately. It’s the perfect light and airy floral for spring or summer! It’s even prettier in person, too. The pattern was the main reason I decided to keep and wear the dress.

The fabric composition. I love that the material is 100% cotton. I try to buy natural fibers when I can! It makes the long skirt breathable in warm weather.

It’s double lined. This is especially important with white dresses, so I was thrilled to see the lining in the skirt. I had no issues with the transparency of the dress. You can see below that the liner comes to just below my knees.

It has pockets. This one speaks for itself 🙂 Real pockets that fit your phone!

The skirt. While they say the skirt has a slimmer fit, it’s still roomy and comfortable. There’s plenty of space for those of us with a bit of a booty- the skirt won’t feel tight or stretched!

Things I Don’t Love

The straps are too long. They’re also elastic, which makes them a trickier fix for pinning or taking in. The long straps mean the dress has a lower neckline than I would like. When I pull the dress up, the straps fall off or hover over my shoulders like the Gateway Arch. Not ideal! This may be less of a problem if you have a larger bust. The low, square neckline also doesn't play nicely with bras.

The unfinished pocket. My dress came with an unfinished/poorly sewn pocket. I was shocked to find such a significant mistake on a nearly $200 dress! This was my biggest motivator for wanting to return it. The other pocket was fine.

It’s got loose threads. Again, a dress this price shouldn’t have poor sewing. I don’t want to snip threads on something fresh off the hanger, especially around the smocking. If something goes wrong there, there’s no going back.

The fabric is stiff. While I’m thrilled the dress is 100% cotton, it’s not the nicest feeling cotton. It’s a bit heavy and stiff. I wouldn’t call it soft or especially comfortable. It reminds me a bit of hotel sheets, which makes more sense when you learn that Hill House started out making linens.

Some of the reviews suggest that the limited edition fabrics and prints aren't as nice to the touch as the Hill House classics. My dress is in limited edition Blue Peony Bouquet Cotton. So while I can't speak to the quality of the classics, I can say I'm disappointed with the feel of mine. Not terrible, but far from what I was expecting for the price.

It’s too long (on me). This one is more on me than on Hill House. But I loved the length of the dress on their models! Unfortunately it didn’t fit me quite the same. I am 5’4” and the hem brushes the floor. A pair of low heels lifts things just enough that I can walk without stepping on the skirt. While I’m happy with how it fits me, I also wish that their website stated the height of the model or demonstrated the dress on someone a bit shorter, too!

Is the Anjuli Nap Dress worth it?

This is a tough one. While I think this dress is beautiful, I just don't think it's worth the $178 price tag. The loose straps, unfinished pocket, and heavy material were all things I could probably let slide on a cheaper dress. But I shouldn't have to fix my own pocket when I'm paying so much, you know? If the dress came in perfect condition I'd probably feel differently.

If dresses in this price range are the norm for you, I'd say give Hill House (and the Anjuli Nap Dres!) a try. They have lots of cute styles and I love their floral patterns! Many of their dresses, including the Anjuli, can be dressed up or down for all different occasions. I'd be happy to give them another chance someday. I probably won't be in the market for a dress in this price range for a while (paying for a wedding AND a new house has me😭), but I'm always on the lookout for sales and resell finds!

So, what do you think? Would you give Hill House a try? Do you ow any of their iconic Nap Dresses? Let me know!

And while you're here, this is the eyeshadow palette I paired with the dress for my bridal shower 🙂

As always, thank you so much for reading. I'll see you soon!

xoxo,

Lindsay